Alex took his gaze away from the artificial limbs and continued changing his shoes. The blond took a look at his friend's quieter expression, and shook his head:
"You are not thinking again that you should have been there with me that day, are you? I think we already talked about that. Or what, did you want to be there to try poisoning me to death?"
Gawain turned to glance at Alex with some amusement in his smile when he asked the last question. Alex still said nothing, focusing on tying his shoelaces. Seeing that, Gawain let out a light exhale, and shook his head once again, before leaning forward to put on his shoes. There was a moment of silence, which he broke after some time:
"There is nothing you could have done."
Alex paused, then stood up, his faded smile still not back on his face.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But seeing what should have been your legs, seeing what has taken their place, is always like a reminder for me, a constant one that will never go away."
Gawain didn't look up, but let out a laugh:
"I'm happy I can make you feel that way for me. I bet many of your intimate female friends would be envious of me if they knew I managed to shake the unfeeling heart of Alex Lenner."
Alex raised his eyebrows, and nodded in agreement:
"Indeed, you are not wrong. If you want to be buried in a desert somewhere, then be my guest and go flaunt your place in my heart."
They looked at each other, then laughed out loud, chasing away the gloom that had come to linger around them. Alex shook his head and changed the subject:
"I went to test the samples this weekend. They should be released by the time of the winter sports this year."
Gawain had just finished tying his shoelaces when he heard the words, and he paused. His expression grew calm. He sat up, and asked, as he looked at Alex:
"Is it safer now?"
The brown-haired young man let his lips curl into a smile that showed all his confidence:
"As safe as I wanted it to be when I conceived the idea. With a strong enough force coming from the wrong direction or going in the wrong direction, the board is set to detach itself from the bindings. I didn't test the skis, but you know…"
Gawain relaxed. He welcomed back a smile on his lips and continued Alex's words:
"Yes, I know. The principle is the same, so it will work with them too… That's good."
His smile grew in the middle, carrying relief which turned into an exhale with the last two words. He looked down at his legs, his expression growing a little distant.
Most accidents on the slopes only ended up becoming severe because, during accidents and falls, especially the following tumbling, skis and snowboards prevented the feet from coordinating with the rest of the body to bleed out the dangerous momentum, becoming obstacles that caused blockades. Not turning, or turning in the wrong direction always ended up causing compound fractures that became the reason for destroyed muscles, crushed nerves, as well as torn veins and arteries, all of those leading to irreversible consequences like, sometimes, amputations.
So, with skis and a snowboard that could respond to force and avoid becoming risk elements, when the situation took a turn for the worse, the trauma from the fall would be minimized, and the consequences less severe.
If only that had come just a few years earlier, how good would it have been? He might only have broken his bones at worst, instead of the tragedy that happened and made him lose so much.
Gawain sobered up a moment later and breathed in before he stood up to face Alex, a light smile coming back to his face:
"Then, in the name of all the winter sports enthusiasts who will be enjoying themselves with less risk in the future, thank you, Chairman Lenner."
His tone as he spoke carried sincerity, but also a wisp of teasing amusement that diffused the solemnity of the moment. And indeed, Alex shivered with disgust, then glared at him:
"You know I hate that title. Go give it to those who want it, I'm not among them. Anyway, I don't need it."
"Indeed, you don't need it."
Gawain smiled. Alex looked at the amusement on the blond's face, and scoffed:
"I hope you manage to catch the attention of my sister, because I will be waiting for you with my chopping board ready."
Gawain froze. Bitterness pulled the upward curve of his lips downward. However, the helpless bitterness didn't last long before receding, and leaving only a slight smile of happiness behind, a smile that turned hazy at the edge as his thoughts seemed to fly in a direction only he would know.
As he changed into a different top, Alex looked at the image so far removed from the usual unruffled calm, and shook his head, holding back from letting out a mocking laugh. He simply pursed his lips and turned away before speaking with a flat smile:
"Put that thing on your face away. You are looking like a lovesick imposter."
Gawain blinked himself awake, and became aware of his smile. He paused, then exhaled and shook his head with a helpless smile:
"Sorry, I lost my composure."
Alex gave him a sidelong glance, commenting with a raised eyebrow:
"You really fell hard, huh? But don't try anything ostentatious to attract her attention, that will only make you lose points."
Gawain replied as he stood up to change out of his top too:
"Thank you for the advice."
Alex pulled down the new t-shirt and smiled:
"You are welcome. I just don't want her to be bothered. She already has her hands full with me."
Gawain pulled down his new top and threw Alex an amused glance:
"Your self-awareness astonishes me."
Alex's lips curled up in pride:
"Why can't I be self-aware? I'm not a coward, I don't bury my head in the sand."
Gawain looked at the misplaced pride for a moment, then shook his head, not even able to become speechless:
"Looking at you, if I didn't know any better, I would never have thought that you were the one to truly look out for in the Lenner family either. Your grandfather really has been the wisest one, after all."
The corner of Alex's left eye immediately twitched, his smile unable to hold under the wave of annoyance that rose up:
"Oh, shut up. Don't talk about that old man. You would think he would have become less annoying now that he is not here anymore."
Gawain was unsurprised. He simply asked, amused:
"And he didn't?"
"Tch! If only!"